Zalmay Khalilzad, the US diplomat leading talks with the Taliban said yesterday he hoped to see a peace deal in place before Afghanistan's presidential elections in July.<br />''<br />''Khalilzad, who has spoken with the Taliban in recent weeks, stressed that any US troop withdrawal would depend on conditions on the ground, and not on any particular timetable.<br />''<br />''He was participating in a discussion on "The Prospects for Peace in Afghanistan" at the US Institute of Peace in Washington.<br />''The talks come as President Donald Trump pushes to end the Afghanistan conflict, where about 14,000 US troops are still deployed.<br />''<br />''Khalilzad last week announced a "draft framework" for a peace deal, though he warned that major hurdles remain.